Effect of electron- and neutron-irradiation on Fe-Cu model alloys studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Electron- and neutron-irradiation effects on dilute Fe-Cu model alloys of nuclear reactor pressure vessel steels are studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. We have found that, not only by high-dose neutron-irradiation but also by low-dose electron-irradiation, the aggregation of Cu atoms and vacancies takes place and the ultrafine Cu precipitates are formed after post-irradiation annealing at 400°C. In spite of large difference in the irradiation doses between the electron- and the neutron-irradiated samples, no significant difference is observed in the isochronal annealing behaviour above 400°C of positron annihilation and micro-hardness, indicating that small amount of extra vacancies enhance the aggregation of Cu atoms in Fe during the annealing-out process of the vacancies.